Chennai: The Congress is set to become part of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s government in Tamil Nadu, with two party MLAs scheduled to take oath as ministers on Thursday.

The announcement was made by K C Venugopal on Wednesday, marking a major political development in the state’s rapidly evolving coalition landscape.

According to Venugopal, legislators Rajesh Kumar and P Vishwanathan will join the state cabinet as ministers.

Sharing the update on X, the Congress leader described the development as a landmark moment for the party in Tamil Nadu politics.

“This is a historic occasion for us, as the Congress joins the Tamil Nadu cabinet after a long gap of 59 years,” he wrote while extending his wishes to the two incoming ministers.

The induction will formally bring the Indian National Congress into the government for the first time in nearly six decades.

The Congress, which secured five seats in the 2026 Assembly election, was among the earliest parties to support Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam after the election results were declared on May 4.

Although TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, it fell short of the majority mark needed to form the government on its own.

Support from the Congress helped push Vijay closer to the required numbers. Over the following days, backing also came from Left parties, the VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League, allowing the actor-turned-politician to eventually form the government.

Cabinet expansion seen as coalition balancing act

The inclusion of Congress ministers comes amid continuing discussions over alliance management within the ruling camp.

Recent reports suggested the cabinet expansion was being closely watched because of tensions surrounding possible accommodation of rebel AIADMK legislators who had backed Vijay during the trust vote.

For now, the latest expansion appears focused on strengthening ties with coalition partners that supported TVK during the post-election negotiations.

Political observers view the move as an attempt to provide greater representation to allies while stabilising the coalition government formed after a fractured electoral verdict.

Vijay Government marked political shift in Tamil Nadu

Vijay took oath as Chief Minister on May 10 after a dramatic post-election period that reshaped Tamil Nadu politics.

The TVK’s rise disrupted the decades-long dominance of the DMK and AIADMK in the state and led to the formation of Tamil Nadu’s first government in decades headed by a non-Dravidian party.

Since assuming office, Vijay has overseen the formation of a 10-member cabinet while retaining important portfolios including Home, Police and Youth Welfare.

With agency inputs